Legislature has provided little leadership

Mike Plessinger works on a train at the Amtrak maintenance center in Beech Grove.

I appreciate the thoughtfulness of John Ketzenberger's Sept. 23 column about the importance of Amtrak's role on our state's economy. Indiana's legislative leaders frankly have displayed little leadership while holding tightly onto Indiana tax dollars in a rainy day fund that could be sensibly used to invest in preserving high-paying skilled labor jobs. We can still save these jobs by leading with courage and investing in the rail industry, one that will reap huge future benefits.

Contrast that solution with the lack of the sensible solutions offered by US. Rep. Marlin Stutzman in his Sept. 23 My View. In his criticism of Obamacare, he offers the layoffs of 600 part-time employees in the Fort Wayne schools and a 72 percent increase in individual insurance plans as evidence of the evils of Obamacare. He would like you to ignore how as a former state legislator, Stutzman and his fellow representatives took over funding of Indiana public schools. Local school budgets were cut well in advance of Obamacare by legislators eager to look good in the eyes of voters and at the expense of public education.

And as for that 72 percent increase, ponder this. Everyone pays when the uninsured need quality medical care. Why shouldn't everyone be required to contribute more fairly to help offset medical costs?

Derek Doehrmann

Speedway

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Legislature has provided little leadership

I appreciate the thoughtfulness of John Ketzenberger's Sept. 23 column about the importance of Amtrak's role on our state's economy.